Reciprocity is one of the currencies on social media. You want to fill up the bank by doing good things for others so they’ll want to help you when the time comes. This is one of Guy Kawasaki’s principles from “Enchantment.”

Rebekah:

You create amazing graphics. What’s one secret you can share about properly using images to promote any marketing campaign?

Peg:

One secret for great images is knowing what size works best on each platform and preparing them in the right way.

Blurry or stretched images send the message that you don’t care and looks unprofessional.

For Facebook I currently use 1:1 aspect ratio at 1000 pixels x 1,000 pixels. (example http://on.fb.me/1m2CBIf)

For Google+ and Pinterest, I use images at 800 pixels x 1200 pixels. This vertical image gets lots of visual real estate and looks fantastic!

CLICK to Pin It!

On Twitter, use the 2:1 aspect ratio . I use 876 pixels x 438 pixels. Tweets with images receive a significant amount more retweets than those without images.

You can resize photos using PicMonkey in their free version if you don’t have Photoshop.

Staying up-to-date on each social media platform image guidelines is crucial – follow people who share the latest updates so you are on the ball if you aren’t a social media professional.

Rebekah:

Google+ and Pinterest are two of your favorite platforms. What’s your top tip on how to use them together?

Peg:

Yikes! Can I give two? I love to use the #PinofTheDay to help people find my content on Google+. People know when you share something with #PinofTheDay that it’s your most important piece of content that you’re sharing that day.

People will check to see what other people have posted with the hashtag as well. So you can use it to curate other people’s best post of the day as well.

I also like to use the Pin it for later call to action to remind people to pin my post and also share the pin so people can find it. A call to action is important since you want people to take some action from your post: pin it, share it, read it, etc.

Rebekah:

What’s your best advice for anyone eager to grow their email list using social media?

Peg:

The key to growing your email list is ASK! Ask people to sign up for your email list by:

Adding it to your email signature. WiseStamp creates a rich email signature that I like to use.

Asking at the bottom of your blog post.

Tweet the link to your email list on occasion.

Put the signup in your social media profiles.

Create a pin on Pinterest with your email list.

Create a pop up on your website for email signup.

Let people know why they should sign up for your email list.

Give away special content or a product in exchange for an email signup.

Ask people to share your newsletter at the bottom.

Make it as easy as possible for people to sign up for your email list.

Rebekah:

What’s the biggest mistake you see businesses making on social media and how can they fix it?

Peg:

One mistake businesses make is starting off like gangbusters and then abandoning their social media accounts.

I’ve seen this happen when businesses hire someone unqualified to manage their social media.

When you hire a social media professional to manage your social presence, make sure they:

Have experience.

If they are on Twitter, how many times have they tweeted? It’s not just about having 10,000 followers; there must be substance to their social media presence. Are they active? Do people talk with them? Do they talk back?

Ask for references as well as check their social media. Look at their LinkedIn profile.

Businesses need to make sure they don’t bite off more than they can chew with their social presence. Start small and build on it. One great presence on one platform is better than three social presences that fell flat.

Rebekah:

If you had one do-over in building your social media presence, what would it be?

Peg:

I think my social media presence has been a slow build out to a pretty decent social media presence.

I’ve taken time to learn platforms as I went and experimented with lots of ways to do things.

So, if I had one thing to do over, I would have started to build my email list sooner. It’s growing, but I wish I started it on day one of my blog.

Rebekah:

If you could have one social media superpower, what would it be?

Peg:

Superhuman Speed: the ability to receive updates on all platforms when they hit so I can absorb them and move on.

Staying on top of rules, guidelines, and changes is really important to doing well on multiple social media platforms.

They aren’t one-size-fits-all and your social media shouldn’t be either.

[…] great example of an interview post enhancing a previous connection is this fantastic interview of Peg Fitzpatrick by Rebekah Radice. Looking at the level of candor (not to mention the picture of the two together) it is clear that […]

[…] great example of an interview post enhancing a previous connection is this fantastic interview of Peg Fitzpatrick by Rebekah Radice. Looking at the level of candor (not to mention the picture of the two together) it is clear that […]

[…] great example of an interview post enhancing a previous connection is this fantastic interview of Peg Fitzpatrick by Rebekah Radice. Looking at the level of candor (not to mention the picture of the two together) it is clear that […]

This was super amazing and love her Super Power Wish…couldn’t agree more.

I so have to remember to get in the habit of putting email opt-ins throughout my post and asking for it more. My list has been growing much more since I’ve been focused on it and these tips were awesome!

Asking for what we want is very powerful. I agree. I’m currently working on my email list and it has been a challenge. I also love the #pinoftheday idea. I’m going to start using that one. Thank you for the great information. FYI, I follow on Google+

It is sure great seeing Peg here on your blog. I kind of know you Peg via Twitter. The thing that always stands out when I think “Peg” is your awesome picture that screams “lets have some fun together!” Now that to me is a beginning of a good relationship!

Your tips are wonderful and I picked up some gems on this post. I liked the advice you gave about growing our email list. Got some gems there too and I thank you Peg!

Rebekah and or Peg, sorry I am not sure who wrote this great article so I will thank you both :-)I Both of you are great people and love the way you share what you know.. thanks. Your answer on how to build our email list was amazingly simple.. just ASK, how more simple can it get? Ho, yes, I say it is simple now, but I have shame to say how many times it has overlooked.. well, now there is no more excuses, we all know, and so we must ask in order to receive hahah 🙂 Thanks for… Read more »

Hi Rebekah and Peg! I got so excited when I saw the link to this posted on Facebook 🙂 I love you both and when I saw you had done an interview together, reading it moved to the very top of my to-do list for the day! My favorite piece of advice is the answer to how to build your e-mail list: ASK! So simple and yet so often overlooked. I love all the suggestions as to how to go about asking… and will definitely be keeping them in mind and testing them out. Thank you both. I always learn… Read more »

Isn’t it amazing how it’s always the little things that escape us Katherine? There are those “Doh” moments during the day where I’ll realize the one little piece I’ve overlooked in a project or the one piece that could make everything else so much easier.

Peg offered amazing advice and I loved having her kick this series off!

A great interview and great tips. I agree that the idea of reciprocity is key to building a relationship. I think that you also need to show that you care.

That was brought home to me when I left a comment on a blog and the blog owner emailed me directly about it – that stands out miles and makes me even more interested in them and what they have to say as well as being keen to help support their efforts.

hi Rebekah and Peg
Thanks for much for sharing these great tips, they are much appreciated!
The image stuff I love, and try to do as you guys do. And for that – the images sizes you shared Peg are awesome!
I have added images to Twitter a few times, but have not seen a significant difference yet. I need to keep trying I think. They are more obvious in people’s streams for sure.